Stringed musical instrument



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WITNESSES:

limitan STATns ALBERT J. FORREST, OF

PATENT @Trina SEATTLE, VASHINGTON.

STRENGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,359, dated J' uly 12, 1898.

Application led September 14, 1897. VSerial No. 651,628. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. FORREST, of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Vashington, have invented a new and Improved Stringed Musical Instrument, of Which the following is a full, clear, and exact de# scription.

My invention consists of certain improvements in stringed musical instruments using a sounding-board by which the tone thereof` is improved and of a certain attachment par ticularly applicable to guitars, mandolins, and other similar instruments of this general class, but Which may also be used in connection With any stringed musical instrument using two bridges to support the strings, the said attachmentmaking it possible to readily produce a Wavin g, vibrating, or tremulous tone.

My invention further consists of certain details of construction, which Will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is atop plan view of an instrument resembling in its general features a guitar and having my improvements embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, taken upon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the attachment iixed to the base of said instrument. Fig. 4L is an inverted plan View of the attachment removed from the instrument, and Fig. 5 is a section taken upon the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

The object of my invention is twofoldiirst, to increase the volume of sound of instruments, such as guitars, mandolins, and other similar stringed instruments using a sounding-box, and, second, to make it possible to produce at will a tremulous, Waving, or vibrating tone.

1 herein show and describe my improvement as applied to an instrument resembling in its general features a guitar and comprising a sounding-box A, neck B, strings S, keys l), by which the tension of the strings may be adjusted, and bridges D and D', supporting the strings. These parts, Kcepting the sound ingsbox A, are similar to the ordinary con struction of such instruments and Will not herein be described in detail.

The instrument shown herein is provided With a fifth string attached to a key b, Which string is shorter than the remainder of the strings. A shape of the sounding-box Which is preferred is shown in full lines in Fig. l. The outline of this box may, however, be changed at will, as this is not considered an essential point. The outline of another form of box is shown by the dotted circle in Fig. l. This sounding-box differs from the ordinary soundingebox used in such instru ments in that the top C has no braces or supporting-ribs attached directly thereto. The only point at which the sounding-box or top C is attached to the frame or to any other part of the instrument is about its margin, Where it is attached to the sides A. It is therefore free to vibrate unrestrained, and consequently is capable of an increased volume of sound.

The omission of the braces or supporting ribs commonly used in guitars and similar instrument-s results in largely increasing the volume of sound. It is understood that the sounding-board C is to be made of Wood, as is the sounding-board of a guitar, and not of skin, as in a banjo. lt is also provided with a sound-port C'. 1n order to support the sides A of the instrument and give it the requisite strength, a bar B is extended length- Wise through the sounding-box and attached at one end to the neck B and at the other end to the opposite side of the sounding-box. At each end of the bar B' and Within the sounding-box are blocks I, which sustain the strain of the strings and communicate it through the bar B. The blocks I and the bar B support the opposite sides of the sounding-box and prevent collapse, which might otherwise occur. This provision of the blocks and the bar is rendered more necessary by reason of the omission of the usual braces upon the sounding-board or top C of the the bridge D and then over the side of the sounding-box and attached directly to the pin d, which is secured to one end of the bar B. This method of attaching the strings is a preferred method, although not strictly an essential one.

Attached to the edge of the souncling-box,at

sounding-box. The strings S are carried over ICO the point where the strings pass over the same, are bracltets or braces F, which at their upper ends are provided with holes adapted to receive the pin c', which also passes through eyes c upon a plate E, thus hinging the plate to the rear edge ol the soni'iding-box. This plate E is above that portion of the strings lying between the bridge l) and the edge of the sounding-box.

The plate E is provided at its under side with a bar E', secured thereto by means of the screws E3. The bar E' is covered by a piece of leather lt2 or similar material which has its edges turned under the bar and clamped between it and the plate E. This piece E2 normally lies very close to but not in contact with the strings f5. The plate E is held up by a spring il, attached to the end of the sounding-board or to the brackets li, upon which the plate E is pivoted. This spring serves to hold the plate it, so that it is close to but not in contact with the strings.

The plate E has an arm G extending forward therefrom to a point where it may be conveniently engaged by the hand of the player of the instrument. This arm G may, il. desired, be made integral with the plate E. In some cases, however, it is desirable that this arm be made adjustable. iVith this end in view it may be constructed as shown in the drawings, in which the arm G is pivoted by a pin or bolt g and is provided with a crossslot g2, through which extends a bolt g', by which it may be clamped in any position. This permits of considerable side swinging of the arm G and enables it to be secured in the position which may be most convenient lor the player. The arm should be adjusted to such a position that it will be convenient Vfor engagement by preferably a linger of the hand used in playing the instrument.

This device is used as follows: lVhen the player desires to produce a waving,vibrating', or tremulous tone, the arm G is engaged by a finger of the hand which strikes the strings and is pressed upon the strings with an alternating mevemeiiit-that is, is pressed down and then allowed to rise an d is then pressed down again-this movement rapidly alternating and producing a waving sound of the instrument. The rapidity ofthe vibrations will depend upon the rapidity of movement el. the arm G. As willbe readily seen, the operation et this attachment interferes in. no way with the proper playing of the instrument, as the strings are ordinarily engaged by the thumb and iirst three ingers.

It is obvious that this attachment may be applied to stringed instruments of any sort, and where it is not convenient 'to operate it directly by the hand special mechanism may be employed by which it may be manipulated. It is important that the point of engagement of this attachment with the strings should be between the bridge and the peint where the strings are secured and not between the two bridges. rihe action oi' this device does not resemble the ordinary pedal or mute, which deadens the sound of the instrument. lits action is to create a vibrating or tremulous tone. if applied to the strings between the bridges, it would have atendency to change the wave length and the tone et the string, as well as to act as a damper, whereas when. applied in the manner shown and described the trcmulous tone is caused by a slight raising ol.` the tone,due to the increased tensionbrought upon the string, and without allfeeting the vin brations el the string between the bridges. lt is also preferred that the lower bridge l), which rests upon the sounfflingboard C, should be an open bridge, as shown in perspective in Fig. -that is, a bridge which touches the sounding-board only at its ends. This if censider has a beneficia-l elteet upon the sound of the instrument. rl`he object ot this construction of the bridge D is to have as little contact with the sounding-board as possible.

Having thus fully described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Leiters Patent-` l. An attachment for stringed ninsieal instruments, comprising a pivotedplate adapted to engage the strings between the bridge and the end iastenings el' the strings, and adapted to be engaged by the hand et the player, substantially as described.

2. An attachment tor stringed musical in struments, comprising a pivoted plate adapted to engage the strings between the bridge and the end fastenings et the strings, and an. arm attached thereto and extending alongside the strings, substantially as described.

8. An attachment for stringedV musical instru ments, comprising a pivoted plate adapted to engage the strings between the bridge and the end fastenings of the strings, and means by which the pressure oi' said bar or plate upon the strings maybe varied at will, substantially as described.

4:. An. attachment for stringed musical in struments, comprising a pivoted plate adapti ed to engage the strings between the bridge and the end fastenings of the strings, an arm attached to said plate and extending alongside the strings, and means l'or adjusting the position of said arm, substantially as described.

Witnesses:

lil variano l'oL'roN lil .i usi m i'. t., iii. L. i'ifnvivotns.

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